The Thing That Make A Great College Coach

Wins And Losses Mean The Most, So The Best Coaches Have The Right Attributes To Turn The Numbers In Their Favor. It's Not Surprising That The Greatest Coaches Excelled In One Area. By Staff Writer Randall Mell

August 25, 2006|By Staff Writer Randall Mell

MOTIVATION

Knute Rockne

Notre Dame

Rockne (1918-30) didn't invent the pep talk, but he elevated it to an art form. His tale of George Gipp's deathbed wish is remembered as the "Win One for the Gipper" speech. It helped motivate the Fighting Irish to beat Army in 1928. Runner-up: Paul "Bear" Bryant, who made his legend at Alabama (1958-82), once said: "It's not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference."

ORGANIZATION

Walter Camp

Yale

Walter Camp was known as "The Father of American Football" while at Yale (1888-92) and Stanford (1892, 1894-95), helping turn rugby into the game we know today. He invented the quarterback and served on the Intercollegiate Football Rules Committee for 48 years. Runner-up: Penn State's Joe Paterno quickly made a name for himself as football's greatest micro-manager after taking over in 1966.

X's AND O's

Darrell Royal

Texas

Royal's years at Texas (1957-76) were filled with innovation, including his implementation of the wishbone offense in 1968, a multiple-option attack that changed the nature of the game and defenses. Before that, he introduced the Flip-Flop Wing-T offense. Runner-up: Don Coryell didn't invent the forward pass, but he took it to greater heights with his "Air Coryell" attack at San Diego State (1961-72).

PERSONNEL

Bud Wilkinson

Oklahoma

Wilkinson (1947-63) assembled the talent that would set the standard for winning in college football -- a 47-game victory streak at Oklahoma between 1953-57 that still stands as an NCAA Division I-A record. He valued smarts as much as he did brawn. Runner-up: Bobby Bowden didn't become the winningest coach in Division I-A on charm alone; his ability to develop NFL talent helped him establish FSU as a powerhouse.

FEAR

Woody Hayes

Ohio State

Hayes (1951-78) was always his most ornery the week of the Michigan game, when he would startle his players kicking over water coolers, ripping his hat to shreds and stomping on his watch. "He seemed to be mad at everybody," former quarterback Rex Kern once said. Runner-up: Bo Schembechler was only slightly less intimidating at Michigan (1969-89).

COMPASSION

Eddie Robinson

Grambling State

Robinson (1942-97) is beloved by his former players in a career that saw him win 408 games and immeasurable respect. He once said: "The most important thing in football is the boy who plays the game. You can't coach 'em unless you love 'em."

Runner-up: Oklahoma's Barry Switzer (1973-88) might have been controversial, but he knew how to win hearts and minds and might be closer to his former players than any coach who ever lived.